Mark Breland

Mark Breland
Mark Anthony Breland (born May 11, 1963) is an American former boxer. A Gold Medal winner at the 1984 Summer Olympics, Breland compiled a 110-1 record as an amateur and is regarded among the greatest amateur fighters ever. He competed as a professional from 1984 to 1997, and held the WBA welterweight title twice between 1987 and 1990. He later became an actor with a wide range of movie and television credits, having made his debut in The Lords of Discipline, and also appeared in the music video for The Pointer Sisters' 1985 hit single, "Dare Me."
Amateur career
Breland was born in Brooklyn, New York. He began fighting when he was 7 years old, taking on challengers in the lobby and hallways of the housing project where he lived. At 9 years old, he earned a spot on Muhammad Ali’s youth boxing camp at his Deer Lake, New York, training camp. At 13 he entered the gym and embraced boxing as a way of life. He won five New York Golden Gloves titles (1980–84) with a record of 21–0 (19 KO's), with 14 knockouts coming in the 1st round, surpassing Sugar Ray Robinson for the most wins in the history of the Golden Gloves. Breland is notably the only amateur boxer to have ever been featured on the cover of Ring magazine, and the only amateur whose picture hangs in Colorado Springs U.S. Olympic Training Center. The Smithsonian Museum for African American History and Culture in Washington, DC displays an honorary picture of Mark Breland & his coveted 1984 Olympic team in recognition of their achievements.
At age 18 in 1981 Breland was already being offered huge sums up to $300,000 by boxing promoters to sign a professional contract. Still, he turned them down, partly in anticipation of participating in the 1984 Olympics (and the exposure the Games would bring), and in part scorn: "It's not 'cause I need the money. It's 'cause they need the money. Hey, I can get hurt." Breland always sought to take the fight game on his terms; even then he planned to leave the ring before turning 30.
Breland compiled an impressive amateur ring record of 110–1 (with 73 knockouts). His single loss, to Darryl Anthony, on a contested decision, was even by a 3rd round TKO over Anthony as a professional in a scheduled 10 round bout. Plus one unaccounted loss by medical disqualification, due to withdrawal because of toxic poisoning, which caused Breland to spent most of the fight week in a New York hospital.
Breland won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics, was awarded the 1982 Boxer of the Year by USAABF, and rated #1 amateur welterweight in the world by AIBA in 1984.
Breland was so exceptional as an amateur that he had been having trouble getting sparring partners in the Bedford-Stuyvesant Boxing Association Gym. Fighters were known to delay their trip to the coveted NYC Daily News Golden Gloves during Mark Breland’s five year consecutive reign in order to avoid facing him. In June 1984, when he was preparing himself for the forthcoming National Olympic Trials, he went to Grossinger, New York, to train with the Kronks, there he sparred with WBC Super Welterweight champion Thomas Hearns, who in turn was preparing to fight Roberto Durán. At that time Breland was being trained by Emanuel Steward. At that time he narrowly escaped bigger troubles, falling under destructive influence of his teammate Ricky Womack, who happened to be an authoritative figure for Breland, eventually was sentenced and jailed.
Professional career
Breland turned professional in 1984. In 1987 he won the vacant WBA welterweight title by defeating Harold Volbrecht by TKO in the seventh round. He lost it in his first defense to Marlon Starling. In 1989 Breland again won the vacant WBA welterweight title by defeating another contender. He made three successful title defenses before losing it to Aaron Davis in a back-and-forth 9-round contest that was nearly called off twice because of injuries to Davis' eye before Breland was knocked out in round 9.
Breland retired in 1997 with a professional record of 35–3–1 (25 KOs). His losses were to Jorge Vaca, Aaron Davis, and Marlon Starling, with whom he also earned his only draw.
Breland is currently a boxing trainer, having trained Vernon Forrest and former WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder among other notable boxers.
Amateur highlights
Won the 39th Intercity Golden Gloves in the welterweight division, Madison Square Garden, New York City, April 1981:
Defeated Efrain Bennett KO 1
Participated in the United States National Championships, in Concord, California, May 1981:
1/4: Lost to Darryl Anthony by split decision, 2–3
Won the U.S. National Sports Festival (Welterweight) in Syracuse, New York, July 1981:
1/2: Defeated Roman George RSC 3
Finals: Defeated Darryl Robinson RSC 1
United States Welterweight Champion, Charlotte, North Carolina, April 1982:
1/4: Defeated Ron Essett RSC 1
1/2: Defeated Frank Warren by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Louis Howard RSCH 2
Made the U.S. National Team at the World Champ Box-Offs in Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 1982:
Defeated Louis Howard
Gold medal at the World Championships (Welterweight) in Munich, West Germany, May 1982:
1/16: Defeated Vesa Koskela (Sweden) RET 2
1/8: Defeated Mihai Ciubotaru (Romania) KO 1
1/4: Defeated Jenő Danyi (Hungary) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Manfred Zielonka (West Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Serik Konakbayev (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Won the USA–Poland Duals (Welterweight) in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 1982:
Defeated Stanisław Marczyński (Poland) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Withdrew from the United States National Championships, in Indianapolis, Indiana, December 1982:
1/16: Lost to Kurt Whitesell by medical walkover
Won the AIBA International Challenge (Welterweight) in Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan, May 1983:
Defeated Yong Beom Chung (South Korea) by unanimous decision, 5–0
United States Welterweight Champion, Colorado Springs, Colorado, November 1983:
1/16: Defeated Bill Harrington RSC 3
1/8: Defeated Tony Golden RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Larry Gentile by decision
1/2: Defeated Alton Rice by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated James Mitchell RSC 2
Won the AIBA International Challenge (Welterweight) in Los Angeles, California, April 1984:
Defeated Luciano Bruno (Italy) by decision
Qualified as a Welterweight at the National Olympic Trials in Fort Worth, Texas, June 1984:
1/4: Defeated Mylon Watkins KO 1
1/2: Defeated Louis Howard by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Davey Gutierrez by unanimous decision, 5–0
Made the U.S. National Team at the Olympic Box-Offs in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 1984:
Defeated Louis Howard by unanimous decision, 5–0
Gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics (Welterweight) in Los Angeles, California, July–August 1984:
1/32: Defeated Wayne Gordon (Canada) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/16: Defeated Carlos Reyes (Puerto Rico) RSC 3
1/8: Defeated Rudel Obreja (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Genaro Leon (Mexico) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Luciano Bruno (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Yong-Su Ahn (South Korea) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Professional boxing record
See also
List of world welterweight boxing champions
References
External links
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1963 births
Living people
American male boxers
Boxers from Brooklyn
African-American boxers
Boxers at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Olympic boxers for the United States
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in boxing
Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Winners of the United States Championship for amateur boxers
AIBA World Boxing Championships medalists
Welterweight boxers
World welterweight boxing champions
World Boxing Association champions
American boxing trainers
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople